Innehållsförteckning för October 2020 från CrossStitcher

Designed by: Susan Penny Stitch count: 45 high x 43 wide Design size: 8x8cm (3¼x3¼in) Stitch time: 4 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Our festive deer decora tion only takes four hours to stitch – so why not whip up a whole set for your Christmas tree? Make a… tree decoration Step 1 START stitching in the centre of a 12x12cm (4¾x4¾in) piece of aida, using two strands for the cross stitch, and one for the backstitch (except the parcel bow which is two). Step 2 PLACE your stitching and 13x13cm (5x5in) of backing fabric right-sides together. Fold some ribbon in half and place in the centre on the top edge, with the folded end inside the layers and the cut ends just over the…

Imagination unwound New book Textiles Transformed by Mandy Pattullo is a journey into ‘thread and thrift with reclaimed textiles’. Anyone with a passion for thread and fabric will be inspired by Mandy’s skill in repurposing fragments and vintage scraps into works of art, creating imaginative collages, quilts, bags, books and heaps more unique textile items. Mandy shows how you can do the same, with instructions for working with quilts, patchworks, linen, lace and wool and how to use stitching and appliqué for decoration. Textiles Transformed is published by Batsford. MY CRAFT ROOM: NINA AND SONYA MONTENEGRO We get to see a glimpse of two designers’ sewing space… “For four years our studio has been nestled in the corner of Nina’s living room/kitchen. We built shelves that make the most of the…

DIMENSIONS SANTA KITS Create an heirloom to enjoy for generations to come with our trio of Santas – each is a larger project, but none are complicated, apart from some half cross stitch for detail. ★ Checking His List is a stocking 41cm (16in) long on White 14 count aida, and the kit contains backing felt and instructions for making up ★ Santa Express is 25x25cm (10x10in) and is worked on Pale Blue 14 count aida ★ Candy Cane Santa is 30x41cm (12x16in) on Dove Grey 16 count aida, and is part of The Gold Collection. Each kit includes: ★ 14 or 16 count aida ★ stranded cotton ★ thread sorter ★ needle ★ full instructions The stocking kit also contains felt to back the stocking and wool to make…

Cross Stitcher PROJECT PACK If you would like to stitch Simply Spellbinding, we have a materials pack with everything you need to get you stitching right away, and have it delivered straight to your door! Your materials pack contains: • Zweigart 14 count aida in Vintage Lavender • Skeins of DMC stranded cotton • Pumpkin and spider charm • Black pearl and Renaissance beads • Two gold-plated tapestry needles; size 24 and size 26 How to order: Fill in the form on page 17 or go to www.willowfabrics.com to order your project pack at the CrossStitcher reader price of £25, plus P&P. Designed by: Faye Walsh Stitch count: 183 high x 120 wide Design size: 33.5x22cm (13¾x85/8in) Stitch time: 38 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric.…

THE CHALLENGE • Rico wooden heart pendant • Seven shades of stranded cotton (shown above) THE RULES • Create a heart pendant • The design area is to fit the heart completely • Only the materials above can be used • Be creative as possible! Welcome to this month’s designer challenge! We love using ready-to-stitch items in our designer challenge, so this month we asked three designers to come up with a simple, yet effective, design to fill a wooden heart pendant. They were given just seven thread shades to design their pattern with, and their creations turned out beautifully. We hope their results will inspire you to join the fun – turn the page to see what our challenge will be for December – we’ve listed everything you need…

Hullo! As a kid I was a voracious reader – the adventures of plucky young heroines in stories were far more interesting than homework or chores! Reading those stories and letting my imagination run wild with what could have happened after the book ended helped to solidify my love of creating. I didn’t start cross stitching until I was an adult – I was an imaginative soul who landed in a very practical and non-artistic family, so I had to find my own way when it came to creativity. But I still remember the bubbling sense of joy cross stitch gave me when I first tried my hand at it in my early twenties! This month’s bookmark tries to recreate that mixture of adult skill with child-like joy. It also…

Designed by: Emma Congdon Max. stitch count: 31 high x 30 wide Max. design size: 5x5cm (2x2in) Max. stitch time: 3 hours These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make a… padded decoration THE padded decorations are backed with a pretty cotton fabric, and then with right-sides together, sewn into a bag, before turning to the right side. Once stuffed, the bottom seam can be sewn up. Add a hanger of ribbon, or baker’s twine before they are sewn up or thread through the top once assembled. Ribbon bows, beads, bells and ric-rac braid give them a bit of Christmas glitz! You can buy the bells and Christmas trim we used to finish our designs from www.willowfabrics.com Materials • Sampedro White 14 count aida • Stranded cotton as…

Designed by: Durene Jones Max. stitch count: 53 high x 39 wide Max. design size: 9.5x7cm (3¾x2¾in) Stitch time: 6 hours each These designs were stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Make an… aperture card Step 1 WORK using two strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch and one for the backstitch. Step 2 TRIM the stitched fabric to fit your card, with the design centrally placed behind the card’s aperture. Step 3 ATTACH double-sided tape to the inside of the card around the edge of the aperture. Step 4 PLACE the stitching on the table right-side up, and then place the card on top, pressing down firmly on the tape. Step 5 CHECK which flap will fold onto the back of the stitching, then add strips of double-sided…

Welcome to the final part of our tiny tree house, home of our little mouse family. We hope you’ve enjoyed the first two parts – now is the most exciting part as you complete the design, ready to hang! We’ve given you a simple wall hanging option instead of framing your work – turn the page for how to do this and also for details on how to get parts 1 and 2 if you missed them. Stitching your… tree house Step 1 START stitching with your fabric turned portrait. Part one of the design, which appeared in issue 360 – the middle section, should have been stitched in the centre of your fabric – part 2 from the last issue 361, should be directly above part 1, and part…

THERE’S ALWAYS A sense of autumn being a ‘new term’ with lots of plans to make as the season turns. So many people have recently discovered crafts like ours for the first time, or come back after a gap, that we predict an even more stitchy Christmas than usual. With that in mind, you can get started this issue with a festive stitch-a-long kit (the first of three!) and a set of Scandi-style motifs (page 29) you can stitch in an evening and turn into cards or decorations. They look particularly good as decorations! We had great fun creating a Christmas ‘wall tree’ to show them off at our photo shoot. It’s perfect for small spaces or for those who dread having to clear up pine needles! Before we get…

TEXTILE TRAVELS ANNE KELLY [Batsford] Well-known textile artist Anne Kelly shows you how to capture your travels, past and present, in stitches. She explores the influence of cultures from across the globe, from India and Peru to Scotland and Scandinavia, so you can harness the techniques, fabrics, motifs and colours to use in your own work. This book is essentially both a practical and beautiful guide to getting textile artists, embroiderers and makers to use travel as a theme in their work. PUNCHED STACIE SCHAAT [Interweave] Punch needle art is enjoying a surge in popularity right now and here textile artist Stacie Schaat shares all you need to know to take a stab at it! Discover tools and techniques to make a collection of stylish home makes with step-by-step mini-lessons…

The Rico punched cushions have a stitching area of 62x62 stitches, so any small design can be used to stitch a cushion Designed by: Emma Congdon Stitch count: 62 high x 62 wide Design size: 37x37cm (14½x14½in) Stitch time: 8 hours This design was stitched on a 4 count punched felt cushion. Make a… cushion USE 12 strands of stranded cotton for the cross stitch. Once stitched, place the cushion front and back together, with your stitching facing out. Make a row of running stitches on the very outer row of holes, stitching the front and back of the cushion together, and using six strands of stranded cotton. When you get to the last side of the cushion, insert the pad, and complete the final stitches to seal the pad…

CrossStitcher is the UK’s longest-established cross stitch magazine, bringing you irresistible projects from top designers. It’s packed with quality content from quick and easy, to classic samplers, from greetings cards to contemporary cushions. We pride ourselves on an upbeat and friendly approach to make every stitcher welcome, whatever their experience and ability. We know how to treat our subscribers well, so make sure you aren’t missing out on a single issue and make sure you subscribe today! Already a subscriber? Well it doesn’t hurt to remind yourself of the amazing benefits we’re giving you each and every issue. Not subscribed yet? You’re missing all this… SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS: • Free kit with every issue, sometimes two kits! • Help shape our content – we are actively looking for new and talented…

Designed by: Cheryl McKinnon Stitch count: 71 high x 42 wide Design size: 12x7cm (4¾x2¾in) Stitch time: 7 hours This design was stitched on 14 count aida fabric. Your can buy the scissor charm we used to decorate our dummy from www.willowfabrics.com Materials • Sampedro White 14 count aida; 15x10cm (6x4in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • Size 24 tapestry needle • Cotton backing fabric; 15x 10cm (6x4in) • Toy stuffing • Scissor charm • Pencil and cotton reel Materials available from www.willowfabrics.com Make a… pincushion Step 1 STITCH your design in the centre of the aida, using two strands of stranded cotton and one for the backstitch. Step 2 THE mauve line on your chart is the stitching line for making up the dressmaker’s dummy. Tack…

Designed by: Lucie Heaton Stitch count: 111 high x 140 wide Design size: 19x24cm (7½x9½in) Stitch time: 28 hours This design was stitched on 28 count evenweave, working over two threads of fabric. Make an… apron pocket Step 1 STITCH the complete chicken design in the centre of your fabric. Turn over the top edge twice by 1.25cm (½in), press, and then machine stitch along the seam. Step 2 TURN 1.25cm (½in) to the wrong side, on the three remaining edges. Press in place. Place the pocket fabric on the apron, and pin in place. Machine stitch the pocket to the apron. Materials For the apron pocket • Zweigart Tranquil Grey 28 count Brittney, ref: 3270/7095; 25.5x29cm (10x11½in) • Stranded cotton as listed in the key • Size 26 tapestry…

Halloween motifs, and particularly spider webs, are great stitched with sparkly, metallic, or glow-in-the-dark threads, but if you feel stitching with these specialist stranded cottons is like using barbed wire, then I have come up with a few tips to help find the best thread for the job, without you pulling your hair out! Make a… woven web wheel Step 1 BRING your needle up on the outside of the circle, and take your needle down through the centre. Work all the spokes in the same way. As you have so many threads in one hole, take the needle down through the centre, as this will stop the displacement of the threads. Step 2 BRING your weaving thread up between two of the spokes. Using a tapestry needle, go over…